A gossip betrays a confidence.
but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.
—Proverbs 11:13
Dirty laundry is a sweet treat that’s hard to resist: “Gossip is so tasty! How we love to swallow it!” (Prv 26:22 GNT). But its aftertaste is bitter: “[A] gossip separates close friends” (Prv 16:28).
You can’t unspeak what’s been spoken. The flip side is that what’s unspoken can’t be repeated.
“The more you talk, the more likely you are to sin. If you are wise, you will keep quiet” (Prv 10:19).
“Without wood, a fire will go out, and without gossip, quarreling will stop” (Prv 26:20). Once fire burns through the wood it feeds on, it goes out; and once gossip reaches someone who refuses to repeat it, it dies.
“Lord, help me control my tongue; help me be careful about what I say” (Ps 141:3).
Nothing travels faster than light,
with the possible exception of gossip.